


A Midsummer Night's Dream

by candysams



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, But only a little, Fluff, M/M, ash's gang is there, so is nadia, spoiler free, very light manga refs, wedding fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 12:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16534688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candysams/pseuds/candysams
Summary: Eiji's not really a morning person, but he would wake up before dawn every morning if it meant he got to marry Ash that day.The dream wedding Ash and Eiji deserve.





	A Midsummer Night's Dream

**Author's Note:**

> My first Banana Fish fic! Woohoo!  
> It only took me like 3 days to churn this one out and I'm pretty pleased with it, but I'm still messing with format on AO3 (mainly indents, they look great in Word and ugly in AO3). Stay tuned for a much longer one hopefully soon ^.^

When Eiji stepped out onto the roof, he felt like he had stepped into a dream.

The rooftop garden housed more plants than Eiji had seen in the entirety of New York City, the rainbow of colors displayed in the petals of flowers reflecting the vibrant artistry practically trademarked by the city. The floor was lined with plush green grass, the flowers expertly planted into large bouquet-like groups, twinkling string lights illuminating the space in the dark and chilly morning. The garden made a pretty centerpiece for the city and its relentless pace, a source of calm in the storm of Ash’s world.

A small fire pit had been placed to the side of the door, providing warmth on the chilly winter morning for the meager number of guests huddled around it. Ibe was one of them, completely bundled from head to toe except for his hands, which were bare to the fire’s warmth. Eiji took a few cautious steps towards him, locking eyes with Max, who nudged Ibe’s shoulder to get his attention.

Ibe whipped around, an uncharacteristic mixture of frustration and glee painting his face. The glee quickly won over and a wide grin emerged as he rushed Eiji, wrapping him in a tight bear hug. “Ei-chan!” Ibe joyfully exclaimed, crushing Eiji’s athletic build with strength an ordinary photographer shouldn’t possess. “I can’t believe it! Not a word from you in over a month and the first letter I get is a wedding invitation with your name on it?!” The frustration won over for a few seconds, as Ibe pulled back from the hug to swat at the back of Eiji’s head. Still, there was no real heat behind his words, only the gentle and familiar warmth that almost made Eiji long for the old home he had left behind.

“I’m sorry, Ibe-san.” Eiji grinned sheepishly, letting Ibe smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in his black suit. “I promise to talk more often, Ash just wants to keep me safe.”

“I know that.” Ibe’s eyes softened as he spoke, as if remembering that Eiji was no longer the innocent young pole vaulter he had met a couple years ago. Eiji knew he hadn’t grown any taller or broader, but he was still growing. He had drifted away from his dependence on others—especially Ibe—and learned to rely more on himself, to roll with the punches and throw them right back.

Ash taught him that.

“Don’t mind him too much, Eiji.” Max clapped Ibe on the shoulder, a goofy grin on his face. “He’s just mad that you’re getting married before him.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t be mad that I’m getting married first, Ibe-san! Ash only asked me yesterday!” Eiji teasingly exclaimed, giggling at the two older men bickering like children in front of him.

“Don’t be mad—why, you!” Ibe gently shook Eiji’s shoulders, drawing more laughter out of the young Japanese. “I’m not moving slow! You’re moving too fast!” He crossed his arms, a faux-pout on his face. “Kids these days, running away to foreign countries and eloping, it’s enough to make you go grey!”

“I’m just kidding!” Eiji tugged gently on Ibe’s sleeves, eyes widening into an innocent expression. Ibe sighed, letting Eiji uncross his arms with a roll of his eyes. “Ash is the one for me, Ibe-san. I’m sure of it.” Eiji felt like he had all the confidence in the world, holding his chin high and keeping his gaze even, just like he had when agreeing to Ash’s proposal less than twenty-four hours ago.

“I know you are.” Ibe replied. He reached out to straighten Eiji’s tie, the smooth green color of the satin fabric chosen to match Ash’s eyes. “But your mother is going to kill me when I return to Japan with pictures of her son’s wedding instead of her son.”

“I’ll call her later, I promise.” Even the prospect of facing his mother’s potential wrath and disappointment wasn’t enough to put a damper on Eiji’s bright mood. Besides, he knew his mother was much too fond of Ibe to be mad at the man, and even that knowledge wasn’t enough to sour Eiji’s morning. He was flying too high, soaring past cloud nine, ready to meet the angel that awaited him at the end of the aisle.

“I don’t know how Ash landed you, but you’re good for him.” Max said. “Congratulations, both of you.”

“He was yours from the start.” Ibe mused. Eiji only blushed slightly, remembering his first meeting with Ash. The day Ash had chosen to place trust in Eiji’s wide-eyed gaze and broken English and put his weapon, his _life_ , in Eiji’s hands. It had taken him a while to realize it, but he knew now that Ash was his.

They would stay by each other’s side forever.

Alex emerged quietly from the same door Eiji had, a soft-looking and undoubtedly expensive blanket folded in his arms. He gave Eiji his congratulations as he brushed pass, but it was clear to Eiji that he had been given a task from the boss himself. Alex headed straight for Nadia Wong, who stood a little away from the excitement surrounding the fire pit in a light pink cheongsam with black and gold embroidery. She turned away as he approached, letting him drape the blanket over her shoulders like a shawl to protect her from the morning chill. A gift from Ash, always taking care of the ones he loved.

Eiji loved that about him.

With Nadia taken care of, Alex turned back towards Eiji. “Ash is ready.” He said. The rest of the gang mingled around him, waving excitedly at Eiji and murmuring amongst themselves. They were dressed in their best clothes, hair combed and jeans free from holes. At Alex’s whistle they parted straight down the middle, almost as if it was a rehearsed act. They created a direct pathway from Eiji to the altar space, a self-organized aisle for the grooms. As Eiji walked between them towards the altar and waiting officiant, flower petals rained down on him, tickling the tip of his nose and brushing off his shoulders and down his back, lining the makeshift aisle and making it more prominent, more _romantic_.

Eiji could see the dim glow of dawn peaking through the buildings in the city’s skyline, lighting up the sky with warm hues. Just like the sky, Eiji’s heart felt lighter by the second as he turned his back to the rising sun, the start of a new day, and waited for the beginning of the rest of his life to fall into place.

And then there was Ash. Beautiful, smart, and _Eiji’s_ , standing next to the fire in a black suit to match his groom. His top button was undone, giving him a more casual appearance, but the green pocket square that matched Eiji’s tie was neatly folded and tucked into the front pocket of his suit. It brought out the color of his eyes, sparkling in the morning glow and twinkling lights, just like Eiji had hoped.

Just as Ash stepped out onto the rooftop, it started snowing.

Sparse flurries drifted down from the sky, getting caught in the mild wind and swirling around the roof. Ash’s gang hooted and hollered as he passed, excited for their boss and the sudden snow. Ash blushed in embarrassment, pink cheeks melting the snowflakes that touched them, but he still acknowledged his family with a smile as he made his way down the petal-covered aisle. He only stopped once on the way, breaking through the crowd to reach Nadia. His hands pulled the blanket tighter around her, making sure she was warm and comfortable now that there was snow falling. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and she returned it, leaving the faintest traces of red lipstick that, to the untrained eye, blended in with the exhilarated blush on Ash’s cheek. Then Nadia swatted his fussing hands away, shooing him up the aisle at an even quicker pace.

Right into Eiji’s waiting arms.

“Hi,” Eiji greeted him shyly, feeling like his mental English dictionary had suddenly been reduced to various ways to say hello and the names of foods he didn’t like. Ash was simply too distracting, blinding Eiji with his sheer brilliance and the way the snowflakes in his hair sparkled in the sunlight. Instead of words, Eiji picked up his hand and tucked Ash’s hair behind his ear, feeling the snowflakes caught in the light strands melt at his touch.

“Ohayo.” Ash greeted him in Japanese, effectively turning Eiji into a tomato. Max and Ibe chuckled at the sight, and Eiji faintly heard a shutter clicking a few feet away from them but he didn’t bother to turn and look.

Right now, Ash was the only thing on his mind. He let his eyes wander up and down the fitted black suit with the folded green pocket square that accentuated the shine of his eyes even in the dim lighting. Ash’s pupils were blown wide, like he wanted to memorize every detail of that moment, like he didn’t already have it all committed to memory. There was no mafia trying to steal him away, no rival gang members challenging him to fights, no police officers chasing after him with a broken justice system. There was just Ash and Eiji.

The morning light was still dim but Ash, he glowed so brightly.

Eiji felt snowflakes catch onto his eyelashes and melt onto his skin, but he had never felt as warm as he did with Ash’s hands holding his, Ash’s hands slipping a gold band up his ring finger. Eiji returned the gesture, reveling in the easy slide of the metal and the calloused feel of Ash’s pale hands, full of memories and determination. Eiji kissed his palm, wishing he could smooth out the callouses and chase away the bad memories of what those hands had touched, what they had done and been trained to do. When Ash looked down at him, eyes watering, he knew he had succeeded, if only for a few seconds.

They kissed in the golden halo of dawn, lights twinkling like stars above them, their friends cheering and whistling. Ash’s ring was cool against Eiji’s cheek, quickly warming with the heat rising to his face. He laughed when they finally broke apart, seeing that Ash was blushing just as much as he was, lips red and hair tousled from Eiji’s wandering hands. Ash silenced his laugh with a kiss before lifting their clasped hands into the air, triumphantly.

Their small audience swarmed the makeshift altar, crying and singing and passing on their well wishes. Ash got swallowed by his gang for a few seconds, but Max managed to fish him out and shoved him back into Eiji’s arms.

“I never thought I would want a wedding, let alone get to have one.” Ash murmured, fiddling with the lapels of Eiji’s jacket. “But you’ve shown me something I’ve never seen before.”

Eiji reached up, grabbing one of Ash’s restless hands and holding it against his chest, over his heart. “I love you, Ash Lynx.” He whispered into the small space between them, watching as snowflakes caught in Ash’s hair, reflecting the light like glitter. Dazzling, as always.

Ash squeezed his hand in return, his breath hitching. The peaceful look in his eyes flashed to worried before his gaze hardened, not letting Eiji read him as easily. His grip on Eiji’s hand grew tighter and tighter until Eiji couldn’t feel the cool metal separating them anymore.

Ash’s grip turned clammy, hand trembling in hand, and Eiji woke up.

The first thing he noticed was his hand hanging over the gap between their beds, red and warm in Ash’s tight grip. His gaze moved up the pale arm to Ash’s face, white as a sheet and sweaty where the moonlight streaming in through the window illuminated his face. Ash twitched in his sleep, eyes scrunching shut and free hand flopping around like he was swatting something away from him. Eiji instinctively closed his eyes, peeking through his eyelashes to see if Ash would wake up.

Ash always woke up.

He would toss and turn in bed, tangling himself up in the sheets, crying out for his mother to save him from whatever night terror he was experiencing. And then he would wake up, panting, and look over to Eiji to make sure he was still there, still blissfully asleep. Eiji would keep his eyes shut, feigning sleep until he eventually fell, and Ash would sit at the windowsill and watch him until dawn came.

This time, Ash didn’t wake up. He didn’t call out for his mother, either.

“ _Eiji_ ,” Ash gasped, eyes still shut and fluttering, as if he were trying to wake up but couldn’t.

Hearing his name jump-started Eiji into action when he normally stayed passive, knowing Ash didn’t like showing weakness, even in front of him. He crawled over the gap between their beds and settled in the small space of bed in front of Ash. He untangled Ash’s legs from the blanket and kicked it to the floor, feeling the feverish heat radiating off Ash’s skin. He kept his bare left hand in Ash’s grip, shifting the angle so that he could squeeze back.

Shh, Ash,” Eiji whispered, using his free hand to brush Ash’s hair off his sweaty forehead. “It’s just a dream, Ash. You’re okay, you’re safe here with me.”

Ash’s eyelids fluttered but remained closed. He curled forward until he was firmly in Eiji’s space, forehead pressed against Eiji’s chest, right over his heart. Eiji placed his hand on the back of Ash’s head, brushing his fingers through his hair and keeping Ash close, letting him listen to his steady heartbeat to find a grounding rhythm. Ash released the vicelike grip on Eiji’s hand, the tension bleeding out of his fingers and giving Eiji a chance to wiggle the feeling back into his own. The panic in Ash’s breathing was gone, replaced by a still-quick but even pace, the frantic fluttering of his eyelashes and twitching in his limbs had stilled as well, like he subconsciously knew who he was with and felt safer because of it.

“You’re safe with me, Ash.” Eiji promised, pressing a gentle kiss to the younger man’s forehead. It was hard to see such a tough leader crumble apart like this, but Eiji wanted all of Ash, the good and the bad. He would stay by his side for as long as he could. Ash had kept him safe in the chaos and violence of his crime-ridden world, and this was Eiji’s only way to return the favor. “It was just a dream, Ash.”

It was just a dream.

**Author's Note:**

> A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
> 
> I want them to be happy but sometimes....angst wins.
> 
> Come talk to me on [tumblr](https://candysams.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/candysamstwit)!


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